Neighbor catches St. Louis boy who fell from third story window

Trystan Corbell, 5, fell out of a third story window in south St. Louis on September 15, 2010. He was caught by an adult who was standing on the sidewalk below the window. By KMOV Web Producer

(KMOV) – A 5-year-old autistic boy fell out of a window in south St. Louis Wednesday evening where he was caught by an adult on the ground, fire officials say.

The boy, Trystan Corbell, apparently climbed onto a window sill from a bed in a third floor room in a building in the 3400 block of Chippewa. Officials say two adults who happened to be talking to one another on the sidewalk below the window looked up and saw the child. One of those adults was able to catch the boy.

Michelle says before the incident, she left Trystan on his bed and went into the next room. She says Trystan opened a locked bedroom window, moved the miniblinds aside and crawled onto the ledge.

“I was there. I was in the house. I was one room away. I had just been with him minutes before it happened,” says Corbell. “It’s crazy how fast that stuff could happen.”

The man who rescued Trystan is Michelle’s neighbor, Carlos Rucker. Fire officials say the Rucker did not appear to be seriously injured, but he was taken to Cardinal Glennon. The boy’s forehead reportedly hit the rescuer, cutting the man’s forehead.

“How can you thank or even try to repay someone that has saved something to irreplaceable like your child’s life,” says Michelle. “It’s impossible. I don’t even know what to do.”